Portable lifter for beehives



22 1927. Y Marh D. G. LITTLE PORTABLE LIFTER FOR BEEHIVES Filed April 28. 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet ll ISN ' WITNEssEs v v f xNvENToR GLM- ATroRNx-:YS

'March 22, 1927.

D. G. LITTLE PORTABLE LIFTER FOR BEEHIVES Filed April 28, 192e www l wlTNsssEs 2 Sheets-snee?I 2 l y INVENTOR ac. Laue.

ATTORNEYS Patented Mar. 22, 1927.

nali/reen: STATES Q DANIEL G. LITTLE, OF HARTLEY; IOW'A,

PORTABLE Ainrrrrnze non ennirvss Applicationiled April 23B, 1926.

My invention reiatesgenerally to improvement-sain lifting devices, `,more particularly to a liftingdevice for a section or sections ora sectional: bee hive,` and it consists in the.

combinations.. constructions and arrangements herein described and claimedfi Bee; hiveslordinarily comprisevv L Iblufralily of superpose-d: sections, the i lower: of which .mainingr-` sectiensiare, storagewsectio-ns for been -filled with honeyzfin order-to permit emptystorage esections to be placedy onthe broodei'isection bet-Ween the latter :andthe filled storage sections, which then. are sup-I ported by the empty storagesections. This whenever it is necessary to providetadditional storage space for honey in the-hive.

The operation of lifting the filled storage sections manually is difficult andlaborious since the filled storage sectionsmay weigh:

any. Where from 50hto 100 lbs. and therefore considerable labor is involved in lifting' the filled sections of a plurality of hives. More-- over7 the lifting of filled sections ofthe hive manually may result in injury to such sections or to the Workman who ,is lifting' them and usuallyv disturbs andinay cause injury to the bees which are in the filledsections at the time they are lifted.

A general robject of the present inventionA is to effect economy in the time and labor vention is to provide a device which-can be*` moved quickly and easily from. place toplace and which affords facilities for liftingfilled these lifted sections in raised positionwhile empty storagey sections are placed on the lower or-brooder section of the hive and then for lowering the lifted sectionsin place .onl

the empty storage sections which aresuperimposed on the brooder section ofthe hive. A-further object of the invention is the provision of a lifting` device ofithei character ture.`

ymay be moved readily from place to place. storage sectionsof a hive and for supporting' described whichl is simple in construction`7| `S crie-.1 No; l195,244.;

reliablein use, andy thoroughly practical commercially.; I A

Other objects and advantages` of thein-V vention VWill be apparent fromthe following` description,considered in vconjunction With-60 i1 the-` y'accompranying dr"i-Wings7 ini vvhich Figurefvl isla perspective view of theimry provedl lifting de-vgice in iiseigshovvinga plus; Y thegbreo'derf section of theghive,and-the ere-H l0-115i; 65 honey.; r These: storage sections mustlibe lift;v ed from the brooder; section When. they-have ralty: 1. ofvstorage Sections vin.: raised i :rosierx 1 Figure 2 is a side elevation ofpthenstruce ture-exibted Fin. `rFignire-z The. supporting structure 'of f the 1. improved., I lifting Ydevice inclndesfa basewwhichycomf-1 prisesga pair of horizontal side baresi-Which '70 are connectedat oneend of; the base; by a f cross bar. lThe side bars lof the base also operation must ibe repeated'or performedthe opposite endsof thebars l.; Thesidefbarsl and thecrossbars 2 andare ioinedfi' together in any. suitable known ,inannerSo lt I as to produce astrong. and rigid-basestruc; The end of the base atl which the cross Y. barg is locatedwvill hereinafter.lie-:referredi. to as the rear-end ofthebasef' Thegbase .is

iopenfbetweenffthe side bars l fromnthefront end ofllthe base to thegcross bar 3 for a :puni 85 i pose toloeffpresently'deserilnad.'` The `side bars l of the base may be stayedto vthereai;

Vcross bar 2 by -thestay rods l Whichnre-lo-f ycated rearwardly of the cross bar 3 as clearlyl 'i showniin Figure f1. y i

The end portions ofthecross bar@ extend I laterally, of opposite sides of .the base and,v support axially; aligned axles on which are mounted the rear Wheels k6.` The forwardy end portionsof the. side barsl of the basege `car-ry depending. hanger lbars vor; brackets 7 which-in turn, carry lthe aligned. frontk axles 8 on which the-frontwheels 9 are. mountedn The .base thus is Asupported on Wheels :and

A pair oftransversely spaced standards; l0 are upstanding lon :the rearward endfportlon with 'the rearward ends of the side-bars l of Athe` basei,i The standards 10 may be stayed to the rear cross bar 2 'by inclined stay rods -3 11 and the; upper end portions ofthe stand ardsv 10- alsoqpreferably are v stayed :to the. 110

side bars 1 of the lbase by the inclined brace bars 12. The standards 10 also preferably are connected at their upper ends and are stayed to each other by a cross bar 13.

A readily portable supporting structure which is light in weight and at the same time strong and durable thus is produced.

The lifting structure of the device comprises a pair of horizontal supporting bars 14 and pairs of front and rear vertically swingable pivoted lifter bars 15 and16, respectively, by means of which the supporting bars 14 are supported on the side bars 1 of the base. The front lifter bar 15 `is connected at its upper end by a horizontal pivotV element 17 to the forward end portion of the associated supporting bar 14 at the outer side of the latter and each lifter bar 15 is attached at its opposite end to the corresponding side bar 1 by a hinge 18 having a hori ciated sidebar 1 of the base by a hinge 2O` which is similar to the hinge 18. The arrangement is such that the lifter bars 15 and 16 at each side of the base will remain parallel with each other at all times and the supporting bars 14 at the uppeiends of the associated lifter bars 15 and 16 will be horizontal at all times and may be moved'in a vertical plane from a level slightly above tizat of the horizontal side bars 1 of the base to a level which is located above the base a distance nearly as great as the length of the lifter bars 15 and 16. The length of the lifter bars 15 and 16 isapproximately equal to the distance from the connection of the lower endV of each bar 15 with the corresponding side bar 1 to the front end of that side bar 17 whereby the front ends of the supporting bars 14 will be substantially flush with the front ends of the side bars 1 of the base when the supporting bars 14 are in their lowermost position.` yThe lifter bars 16 are connected and stayed to each other by crossed inclined stay rods 21 so that all the lifter bars and the supporting bars 14 will move vertically in unison when motion is imparted to any one of the members of the lifting structure.

Each supporting bar 14 preferably is right angular in cross section and includes an inwardly extending horizontal flange 22 at its upper edge. Vith the construction that has been described for supporting the supporting bars -14 on theside bars 1 of the planes of the inner faces or edges of the side bars 1.

j The means for operating the lifting structure orv frame of the device includes a shaft 23 which is journaled adjacent to its opposite ends in aligned openings in the upper end portions of the standards 10. Cables 24 are attached to the upper end portions of the lifter bars 16iand are passed over the shaft 23 and secured to the latter. The cables 24 are of sufficient length to permit swinging of the-bars 16 from substantially horizontal positions on the base bars 1 to substantially vertical positions.

The shaft 23 extends at one end laterally of the adjacent standard 10 as indicated at 25. A crank handle 26 is secured to the extended end portion 25 of the shaft 23. A ratchet wheel 27 is securedto the extended end portion 25 of the shaft 23 at the outer side of the adjacent standard 10. A holding pawl 28 is connected by a horizontal pivot element 29 with the adjacent standard 1()` and is pressed by a spring 30 against the teeth of the ratchet wheel 27 to releasably `hold the shaft 23 againstvrotation about its axis in one direction. i

` From the foregoing description of the various parts of the device, the operation thereof may be readily understood. As hereinbefore stated, the device is adapted for use `with sectional bee hives, each of which may com prise a loweror broeder `section 31 and `a plurality of storage sections, such as indicated at 32 and 33 respectively inFig. 1, the storage sections being supported by the i brooder section on which they are stacked.

Each storage section of a beeI hive of the type referred to is providedA with anouti wardly extending strip 34 on thebody of the section at the lower edge of each side wall of the section. termed flanges, since obviously they may be integral with the walls of the hive. The distance between the inner edges of the side bars 1 of the base of the device forwardly of the cross bar 3 is slightly greater than the width of the lower or broeder section' 31 of a bee hive of the type referred to so that the device may be moved on its wheels until the free forward end portions of the side bars 1 of the base of the device straddle the broeder section of the bee hive. The height of the These strips may be brooder section is greater than that ofthe base bars 1. The distance between the inner edges of the flanges 22 of the supporting bars 14 of the device is but slightly greater than the width of the body of any one ofthe .sections of the bee hive and is lessthan the lio 1,622,2onf

derlie the flangesll of the lowermoststorage section,thatl is to be lifted at; the;` time thedevice is moved to position to straddle a hive -`andftherefore the. fianges22 of the lsup-A porting bars 14 will extend under vthe flanges 34; yofnthe. lowermost storage' sectionkof the hive that issto befliftedf. The .storage sections of the hive above the level: of the: supporting bars la then will be raised from positionon ithe :loiwerf section of the hive when the lifting structure of the device is actuated to effect movement of the supporting bars in an upward direction. This upward movement of the supporting bars rl of the lifting structure of the device and of the sections of the hives that are supported by the supporting bars la can be effected conveniently by manipulating the crank handle 2G to wind the cables 24 on the shaft 23. The engagement of the pawl 28 with the ratchet wheel 27 will prevent accidental return rotary motion of the shaft 23 and the lifting frame therefore will remain in raised position and the lifted sections of the hive will be supported in raised position until the pawl 28 has been disengaged from the ratchet wheel 27 to permit the lifting frame and the sections of the hive thereon to be lowered. The sections of the hive which are supportedy on the lifting frame will be maintained horizontal while they are being lifted from position on the lower section of the hive and therefore the contents of the raised sections of the hive will not be disturbed. lVhen the lifting frame is in raised position as shown in Figures l and 2, empty storage sections not shown, may be placed on the lower section 3l of the hive and the lifting frame then may be lowered slowly until the sections of the hive which have been raised are lowered to position on the interposed empty storage sections.

In the event that the hive sections which are to be lifted do not have the aforesaid flanges 34, cross angle rest bars may be placed under the front and rear edges of' the lowermost section that is to be lifted with the ends of the cross rest bars disposed on the flanges 22 of the bars 14 of the lifter, after which the operation will be the same as hereinbefore described.

Obviously, my invention is susceptible of embodiment in forms other than that illustrated in the accompanying drawing and I therefore consider as my own all such modifications and adaptations of the form of the device herein described as fairly fall within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim l. A lifting device of the character described comprising a base, said base including a pair of side bars, a cross bar connecting the rearward ends of the side bars, and

an intermediate cross bar between said sideV a iii" bars, said 'base being lopen between said Iside, bars from thell forward ends.ofthesideibars. to said intermediate Icrossbarpwheelsfattire opposite end-s of s'aid1side barsfor movably supporting said' base,v the forward' end por-5 tions of said side bars being-,adapted to.,V straddle ther l.lower section :of a sectional bee i' hive, La iliftingrwfraineacomprising a kpifiir'of horizontal supporting-bara.: and '.pairs lof. frontaand'rear. lifter bars,"the front-.ilifterf lower end portions `0f said lifter bars being swingingly` attached to the rearward ends of said side bars of the base, said front andk rear lifter bars at each side of the base being parallel, said supporting bars of the lifting frame having inwardly extending flanges at their upper edges, extending beyond the vertical planes of the inner edges of said side bars of the base, stay rods between the rear lifter bars, whereby all of said lifter bars will move in unison, standards on the rearward end portions of said side bars of the base, a transverse shaft rotatably supported by the upper end portions of said standards, and cables connected at their forward ends to the upper end portions of 'the rear lifter bars and attached at the rearward ends to said shaft.

2. A lifting device of the character described comprising a base, said base including a pair of side bars, a cross bar connecting the rearward ends of the side bars, and an intermediate cross bar between said side bars, said bars being open between said side bars from the forward ends of the side bars to said intermediate cross bar, wheels at the opposite ends of said side bars for movably -supporting said base, the forward end portions of said side bars being adapted to straddle the lower section of a sectional bee hive, a lifter frame comprising a pair of horizontal supporting bars, and pairs of front and rear lifter bars, the front lifter bars being attached pivotally to the front end portions of the supporting bars and being swingingly attached at their normally lower ends to said side bars of the base intermediate the length of said side bars, the upper end portions of the rear lifter bars being pivotally attached to the rear end portions of said supporting bars and the lower end portions of said lifter bars being swingingly attached to the rearward ends of said side bars of the base, said front and rear lifter bars at each side of the base being parallel, said supporting bars of the lifting frame having inwardly extending flanges at their upper edges, extending beyond the vertical planes of the inner edges of said side bars of the base, stay` rods between the rear lifter bars, whereby all of said lifter bars will move in unison`r standards on the rearward end portions of said side bars of the base, a transverse'shaft rotatably supported by the upper end portions oi said standards, cables Lconnected at their forward ends to the upper end portions of the rear lifter bars and attached at the rearward ends to said shaft, an operating handleseoured to said shaft, a ratchet `wheel secured on said hold said shaft against rotation in one direetion about its axis.

DANIEL G. LITTLE.` i 

